Digital Audio is Reeling in Radio

As famously sang all the way back in 1979, "video killed the radio star", and while this is something certainly borne out in the numbers today, the most recent technological move away from traditional radio - digital audio - is still lagging behind when it comes to reach in 2021.

As data and forecasts from the Statista Advertising and Media Outlook show, radio's reach in the United States in 2021 is still a steady 217 million users, putting it ahead of digital audio's 169 million. While radio's growth is set to remain stagnant over the next few years however, media such as podcasts and music streaming are still on the rise, with the gap set to be almost completely closed by 2025 in the U.S.

When it comes to advertising dollars though, the good old fashioned radio is still going to take some beating. Statista forecasts that in 2025, $12,240 million will be spent on the airwaves, while digital, despite displaying strong growth, will stand at just $4,460 million.